Itinerario, overo Nova descrittione de’ viaggi principali d'Italia, nellaquale si ha piena notitia di tutte le cose piu notabili, & degne d’esser vedute

1638

de Beer Itb 1638 S

Vicenza: Francesco Bolzetta libraro in Padoua

Masks, musicians, street singers, performance artists, food and drink come to the fore at the Carnival of Venice (Carnevale di Venezia), held each year just before Lent. The mask (full or half) provides anonymity and disguise; inhibitions are lowered and assignations begin. There are the traditional stereotypes: Scaramuccia (the clown); Omo Salvadego (the Savage Man); Gnagnas (man disguised as a woman); the Courtesan; the Venetian merchant, and so on. The mask types vary too: the Viloti (Peasant masks); Bauta (the traditional Venetian mask); Moretta (dark); Maschera da Coltra (Blanket Mask); Pantalone (Pantaloon); Brighella, Harlequin, and so on. Here is ‘Doctor’ Grazian, who later becomes Dottor Balanzone (from the word ‘lies’), who supposedly ‘knows it all’, but is riddled with arrogance and ignorance.